Darnley's View Spiced Gin @ 42.7% abv

Soft citrus and subtle, cracking in a G&T and a brilliant addition to any gin shelf.

Relative newcomers to the scene (launched in early 2010) Darnley’s View Gin is slowly seeding it’s way onto gin shelves around the world. With a family background steeped in spirits, a beautiful castle, a balanced list of botanicals and some established names adding to their credentials, there is certainly a lot to talk about.

As with any good gin, you need to start with a good story; in this case a family one. Darnley’s View is a creation from the Wemyss Whisky Company in Fife, and the legend goes something like this…

“With renowned expertise for the production of fine wines and spirits, our gin is made from a family recipe and captures the moment in 1565 when Mary Queen of Scots spied her future husband, Lord Darnley, through the courtyard window at Wemyss Castle. From this marriage came a prince who later united the thrones of England and Scotland as James VI and Ist. We like to think of Darnley’s son, conceived through a union that began at Wemyss, as a symbol of our desire to combine the best of England and Scottish distilling to create a unique gin.”

Romance covered, now onto the spirit. Darnley’s View Gin is a careful balance of six botanicals. The ingredients in question are largely a traditional line up, with juniper, lemon peel, coriander seed, angelica root, elderflower and orris root all added into the still, but the gin feels lighter than a classic London Dry. Four times distilled and bottled at 40% ABV, the juniper comes to the fore on the nose but much less so on the palate, with the elderflower emerging in it’s own right. Well rounded, smooth and with a warm finish, Darnley’s View never bites, making it a good choice of gin during the summer months. It also offers up some interesting possibilities for fruit based cocktails. To us, Darnley’s View Gin feels like a perfect example of a modern take on the traditional London Dry style – not digressing too far off the classic juniper lead taste, but lighter (softer even) and more floral to suit more modern palates. Delicious.

Working in collaboration with Geraldine Coates and Jason Scott, the Darnley’s View team has shown just how much consideration they place on quality and authenticity. A quick glance at the other spirits in the family business and respected names like Charles McLean pop up as having lent their expertise to improve their whiskies; showing that this attitude is no coincidence. Similarly, the gin itself is distilled under contract at Thames Distillers in Clapham, whose wealth of experience in the gin category needs no introduction.

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